Driver Accused Of Marijuana DUI Released From Jail

Your Central Valley reports that a driver who is accused of a DUI marijuana was released from jail as the investigation continues. 

21-year-old Karina Machuca has been released on bail. She was taken into custody on Tuesday night following a deadly auto accident. Witness Carlos Martinez saw the accident. At about 9 p.m., he heard a giant boom and thought that it may have been a blowout. When he exited the shop at his home, he saw a car had driven into his fence. He also witnessed a man lying in the roadway. 

According to the California Highway Patrol, Machuca was driving north on Cherry Avenue when she struck a man on a bicycle. She then struck the fence on Martinez’s property. 

Officers who responded to the scene state that they smelled marijuana on Machuca. A drug-recognition expert was called in. The Fresno Branch of the California Highway Patrol has 20 such experts. 

The California Highway Patrol has filed charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI against Martinez. The DA has not yet stated whether they will prosecute the case. 

The state of California legalized medical marijuana back in 1996. Fast forward to 2018 and the state’s voters elected to legalize recreational marijuana. With legalization also comes certain regulations and that includes that drivers refrain from driving while under the influence of marijuana. The law goes even further, stating that marijuana can only be carried in a motor vehicle while in its original, sealed packaging; or if outside its packaging, it is locked in a space where the driver and the passengers do not have access, such as the trunk. The penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana are much the same as driving under the influence of other drugs and alcohol. 

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